System1 Testing Reveals Nostalgia, Acts of Kindness and Familiarity Shine in Christmas Ads

The latest Test Your Ad data from System1 reveals that the UK is anticipating a ‘Golden’ Christmas, with high levels of Happiness driving standout results.

Six major brands—Aldi, Sainsbury’s, Lidl, Cadbury, Amazon, and M&S Food—have already achieved the top Test Your Ad score of 5.9 Stars. Amongst the latest releases, is a remarkable number of returning favourites, including re-airs of “Cadbury’s Secret Santa Delivery”, Very.co.uk’s “Let’s Make it Sparkle” and TK Maxx’s “Festive Farm”, priming 2024 to be the most consistent Christmas for advertising we've seen yet; already seeing exceptional results, the consistency in Christmas creative this year attends well to recent insights from System1 and the IPA, in their report Compound Creativity, which found that consistency drives long-term commercial success.

Every year System1 tests all the major Christmas ads with its Test Your Ad platform, putting each eagerly-awaited creative to the test of real audience reaction. The ads are rated from 1-Star to 5.9-Stars, a measure predicting their potential to drive long-term brand growth. Overall, only 1% of ads land in the 5-Star range. But brands save their best, most emotional work for Christmas, when 5-Star ads are much more common. 

Retailers are embracing the Christmas spirit, and as competition intensifies, brands like Aldi, Sainsbury’s, Marks & Spencer, Argos, TK Maxx, Very.co.uk and Morrisons are leveraging the effective ‘fluent device’ strategy to connect with audiences through familiar faces year after year. After dominating the festive scene for the past three years, it's crucial for retailers to enhance their emotional appeal to stand out in a competitive landscape.

Jon Evans, chief customer officer, System1, said, “Consistency and familiarity are winning strategies for brands, with Aldi's Kevin the Carrot and Very’s Pink Flamingos as prime examples. It’s encouraging to see more brands entering the Christmas season focused on past effectiveness, delving into the Christmas archives to revive elements that have resonated with consumers before.

“Amazon exemplifies this approach, returning year after year with messages centred on humanity and kindness. Ultimately, the essence of Christmas lies in simplicity—simple, relatable narratives, familiar faces. The excitement of the season is rooted in humanity and nostalgia, not in extravagance or glamour.”

Jemma Townsend, marketing director at Aldi UK, said, “Would it even be Christmas without Kevin the Carrot on our screens? We’re delighted to see that bringing back everyone’s favourite carrot is paying off with another top score from System1.’' 

The ads released to date are ranked by Star Rating (brand-building potential), with Spike Rating (short-term sales potential) the tiebreaker for ads with the same Star Rating.  Consumers’ favourites thus far include: 

• Aldi – “Get into the Christmas Spirit with Kevin the Carrot” – 5.9 Stars
• Sainsbury’s – “Phizz-whizzing” – 5.9 Stars
• Lidl – “Lidl Presents: A Magical Christmas” – 5.9 Stars
• Cadbury – “Secret Santa Delivery” – 5.9 Stars
• Amazon – “Midnight Opus” – 5.9 Stars
• M&S Food – “The Journey” – 5.9 Stars
• TK Maxx – “Festive Farm” – 5.8 Stars
• Morrisons – “Singing Gloves” – 5.7 Stars
• Barbour – “Baa-bour” – 5.6-Stars
• ASDA – “The Gnome of Christmas” – 5.4 Stars
• Very.co.uk – “Let’s Make it Sparkle” – 5.4 Stars
• Etsy – “Where’s Waldo” – 5.1-Stars

Category Star Performers:

This year also sees impressive new category breakthroughs from unexpected brands like FatFace and Harvey Nichols, signalling a fresh shake-up in the festive ad landscape.

• FatFace – “It’s a Wonderful Gift” – 4.9 Stars (Fashion average: 2.5 Stars)
• Harvey Nichols – “Robot Boy” – 4.7 Stars (Department Stores average: 2.6 Stars)
• Ninja – “Holidays with David Beckham” – 4.4 Stars (Small Domestic Appliance average: 2.6 Stars)
• Greggs – “Christmas with Nigella” – 4.4 Stars (Fast Food & Coffee Shops average: 3 Stars)
• Chelsea FC - “Wrap Up Warm” - 4.6 Stars (Sports, Performance & Leisure Average: 2.5 Stars)

“While we love to see familiar faces returning to the Christmas scene, it’s also wonderful to see so many unlikely entries making their mark this season. FatFace is one brand we didn’t expect to see this year, but their beautiful campaign featuring everyday families sharing a beloved FatFace Christmas jumper has truly resonated with audiences. It underscores the importance of being present during the festive season, and more brands are eager to join in on the action—brand-building works at this time of year, and it’s certainly here to stay,” added Jon.